The renin-angiotensin system is one of the hormonal mechanisms involved in regulation of pressure/volume homeostasis and in expression of hypertension. Activation of the renin-angiotensin cascade begins with renin secretion from the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidney and culminates in the formation of angiotensin II, the primary active species of this system. This octapeptide, angiotensin II, is a potent vasoconstrictor agent and also produces other physiological effects such as promoting aldosterone secretion, promoting sodium and fluid retention, inhibiting renin secretion, increasing sympathetic nervous system activity, increasing vasopressin secretion, causing positive cardiac inotropic effect and modulating other hormonal systems.
Previous studies have shown that antagonizing angiotensin II at its receptors is a viable approach to inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, given the pivotal role of this octapeptide which mediates the actions of the renin-angiotensin system through interaction with various tissue receptors. There are several known angiotensin II antagonists, most of which are peptidic in nature. Such peptidic compounds are of limited use due to their lack of oral bioavailability or their short duration of action. Also, commercially-available peptidic angiotensin II antagonists (e.g., Saralasin) have a significant residual agonist activity which further limit their therapeutic application.
Non-peptidic compounds with angiotensin II antagonist properties are known. For example, the sodium salt of 2-n-butyl-4-chloro-1-(2-chlorobenzyl)imidazole-5-acetic acid has specific competitive angiotensin II antagonist activity as shown in a series of binding experiments, functional assays and in vivo tests [P. C. Wong et al, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 24(1), 1-7 (1988)]. Also, the sodium salt of 2-butyl-4-chloro-1-(2-nitrobenzyl)imidazole-5-acetic acid has specific competitive angiotensin II antagonist activity as shown in a series of binding experiments, functional assays and in vivo tests [A. T. Chiu et al, European J. Pharmacol., 157, 13-21 (1988)]. A family of 1-benzyl-imidazole-5-acetate derivatives has been shown to have competitive angiotensin II antagonist properties [A. T. Chiu et al, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 250(3), 867-874 (1989)]. U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,463 to Blankey et al describes a family of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo(4,5-c)-tetrahydro-pyridine derivatives useful as antihypertensives, some of which are reported to antagonize the binding of labelled angiotensin II to rat adrenal receptor preparation and thus cause a significant decrease in mean arterial blood pressure in conscious hypertensive rats. EP No. 253,310, published Jan. 20, 1988, describes a series of aralkyl imidazole compounds, including in particular a family of biphenylmethyl substituted imidazoles, as antagonists to the angiotensin II receptor. EP No. 323,841 published Jul. 12, 1989 describes four classes of angiotensin II antagonists, namely, biphenylmethylpyrroles, biphenylmethylpyrazoles, biphenylmethyl-1,2,3-triazoles and biphenylmethyl 4-substituted-4H-1,2,4-triazoles, including the compound 3,5-dibutyl-4-[(2'-carboxybiphenyl-4-yl)methyl]-4H-1,2,4-triazole. U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,804 to Carini et al describes a family of biphenylmethylbenzimidazole compounds as angiotensin II receptor blockers for use in treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure.
There are pyrrol-containing compounds known for pharmocalogical purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,734 describes N-toluyl-substituted pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid compounds for use as antihypertensive agents. A family of 1-[p-methyl-.alpha.-[4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)phenyl]benzyl] azole compounds is described having antibacterial and antifungal properties, including the specific compound 1-[(4-chlorophenyl) [4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)phenyl]methyl]-1H-imidazole [S. Massa et al, Arch. Pharm., 32(6), 369-73 (1989)].